Plug-and-socket connector

ABSTRACT

A plug-and-socket connector for connecting two lengths e.g. two lengths of an electric cable, particularly, under adverse operation conditions (i.e. when the connection is acted upon by dust, mud, water, vibrations, jogging, impacts, etc.), comprising a male plug member, a female receptacle member and a coupling and locking assembly mounted, preferably, on the body of said male plug member, this coupling and locking assembly including an external nut and two rings received internally of said external nut and extending about the body of the male plug member; the herein disclosed plug-and-socket connector features a dependable and comparatively simple structure of its coupling and locking assembly; the main parts of this plug-and-socket connector may be made of a strong plastic material.

United States Patent [22] Filed Oct. 20, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 12,1971 [32] Priority Oct. 18, 1968 [33] U.S.S.R.

[54] PLUG-AND-SOCKET CONNECTOR ,4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl339/89 R [51] Int. Cl l-l0lr 13/54 [50] Field of Search 339/89-91;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,393,927 7/1968 Kelly et al285/23 3,462,727 8/1969 Blight et a] 339/89 M FOREIGN PATENTS 857,34412/1960 Great Britain 339/90 Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynnAttorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen ABSTRACT: A plug-and-socketconnector for connecting two lengths e.g. two lengths of an electriccable, particularly, under adverse operation conditions (i.e. when theconnection is acted upon by dust, mud, water, vibrations, jogging,impacts, etc.), comprising a male plug member, a female receptaclemember and a coupling and locking assembly mounted, preferably, on thebody of said male plug member, this coupling and locking assemblyincluding an external nut and two rings received internally of saidexternal nut and extending about the body of the male plug member; theherein disclosed plug-and-socket connector features a dependable andcomparatively simple structure of its coupling and locking assembly; themain parts of this plug-and-socket connector may be made of a strongplastic material.

PATENTEDnm 12 nan 3 (-3 1 I3 04 I sum 2 OF 4 PATENTEDum 12 19113,513,047

' sum 3 0F 4 FIG. 5

PLUG-AND-SOCKET couuscroa The present invention relates toplug-and-socket connectors adapted to connect lengths of electric cable,particularly under adverse operating conditions (when the connection maybe subjected to the action of dust, mud, water, jogging, vibrations,impacts, etc.).

Known in the art is a plug-and-socket connector which comprises a femalereceptacle member, a male plug member and a coupling and lockingassembly mounted on the body of the male plug member, this coupling andlocking assembly including a sleeve nut, a pair of rings extendingcoaxially about the body of the male plug member, one of the two ringsbeing engageable with the sleeve nut, and a ball retainer preventing anyunwanted self-unscrewing of the sleeve nut.

In this known pluTg-and-socket connector, the coupling and lockingassembly is of a comparatively complicated structure; moreover, thisknown connector is used for connection of electric cables understationary conditions with the female receptacle member thereof beingsecured to a mounting panel so that the ball retainer of the couplingand locking assembly should always be at the top of the connector, leastthe retaining ball might fall out and get lost, when the male plugmember is either being connected with the female receptacle member ordisconnected therefrom.

Therefore, this known plug-andsocket connector can not safely be usedunder field conditions for connecting two lengths of an electric cable,without the female receptacle member of the connector being secured tosome type of a mounting panel, for the ball retainer to be positivelyand always at the top of the connector; otherwise, should the femalereceptacle member be not positively positioned, as describedhereinabove, the operators of the connector would have to positionproperly the connector prior to every coupling or uncoupling operation.Besides, should any dirt, mud, dust, etc. find its way into the couplingand locking assembly of this known connector under field conditions,this might lead to jamming of either the coupling and locking assembly,or of the connector as a whole.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the abovementioned disadvantages.

A further object of the present invention is to provide aplug-and-socket connector which has a coupling and locking assembly of asimple structure and which is characterized by dependable operation andwhich positively provides for performing connecting and disconnectingoperations in any spatial position of the connector thus simplifying thetask of the operators.

This object is accomplished in a plug-and-socket connector comprising afemale receptacle member, a male plug member and a coupling and lockingassembly mounted on either said male plug member or said femalereceptacle member, preferably on the body of said male plug member, saidcoupling and locking assembly including a sleeve nut and a pair of ringsextending about the body of said male plug member, the first of saidrings being engageable with said sleeve nut, in which connector, inaccordance with the present invention, said first ring engageable withsaid sleeve nut is spring-biased for limited axial reciprocationrelative to said sleeve nut and for rotation jointly therewith aboutsaid body of said male plug member, the second of said two rings beingfixedly engageable with said body of said male plug member under theaction of the springs biasing said first ring; one of said first andsecond rings having lugs on one end face thereof; the lugs being adaptedto engage in the respective extreme screwed on and unscrewed positionsof said sleeve nut the corresponding recesses provided on that end faceof the other one of said first and second rings, which engages inoperation said one end face of said one of said first and second rings.

It is expedient to provide said first ring, engageable with said sleevenut, with axial projections adapted to engage by the respective sideedges thereof a plurality of corresponding axial projections of anannular shoulder provided on the internal surface of said sleeve nut,said springs biasing said first ring for axial reciprocation relative tosaid sleeve nut and bringing it against said second ring fixedlyengageable with said body of said male plug member, said springs beingreceived in the spaces between the adjacent pairs of said projections.

A plug-and-socket connector, designed in accordance with the presentinvention, has been found to achieve the above objects and aims, andthus can be widely and successfully used under a wide variety ofclimatic and atmospheric conditions (under high and low temperatures, inwater, in dust-ridden air, in mud, etc.); besides, its relatively simplestructure makes it possible to manufacture every constituent part of theherein disclosed plug-and-socket connector from mechanically strongplastic materials.

The present invention will be better understood from the followingdetailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, withdue reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a plug-and-socket connector,embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connector, illustrated in FIG.1, taken along line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 (a, b, c, d, e) is an exploded view of the coupling and lockingassembly of the plug-and-socket connector, according to the invention,together with a portion of the body of the male plug member; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the coupling and locking assembly.

Referring now in particular to the appended drawings, it can be seenfrom FIGS. 1 and 2 that a plug-and-socket connector embodying theinvention comprises a female receptacle member I and a male plug member2 with their respective plastic bodies. Each one of said bodies receivesthereinside the respective sealing members 3 and 3' for sealinglyengaging the end portion of an associated electric cable, as well asmembers 4 for securing this end portion of the electric cable. Mountedinside the body of the female receptacle member 1 are insulating meanssupporting socket contact members 5, while insulating means mountedinside the body of the male plug member 2 support contact pins 6.Mounted on either one of the two bodies of the herein disclosedconnector, adjacent to the engagement end thereof, is a coupling andlocking assembly (in the embodiment now being described this couplingand locking assembly is mounted on the body of the male plug member 2)including a sleeve nut 7 receiving thereinside a pair of rings 8 and 9extending coaxially about the body of the male plug member 2, and aplurality of compression springs 10. The ring 8 is directly engaged bythe sleeve nut 7, the ring being mounted inside said sleeve nut forlimited axial reciprocation relative to the not 7 and for rotationjointly with said sleeve nut in relation to the body of the male plugmember 2, while the ring 9 is fixedly supported by the body of the maleplug member 2, the springs 10 being compressed in operation between thering 8 and the nut 7, the compression force of these springs actingthrough the ring 8 on the ring 9, engaging it with the body of the maleplug member 2.

For this embodiment of the present invention to be better understood,shown in FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the coupling and locking assembly(positions a, b, c, d, e), together with the body of the male plugmember 2, from which it can be seen that the nut 7 (FIG. 3d) is providedwith an annular radially projecting shoulder 11 on the internal sidethereof, this shoulder including on one side thereof axial projections12 adapted to limit rotation of the nut 7 relative to the body of themale plug member 2, while on the opposite side thereof this shoulder hasaxial lugs 13 acting as guideways for axial reciprocation of the ring 8inside the nut 7. Besides, the nut 7 is provided with a multiple helicalthread 14 on the internal side thereof. The ring 8 has axially extendingguiding projections 15 (FIG. 3b), alternating with sockets 16 adapted toreceive the end portions of the springs 10 (FIG. 3c), the opposite endface of the ring 8, adapted to engage the ring 9 in the assembled stateof the coupling and locking assembly, is provided with retainingrecesses 17. One end face of the ring 9 (FIG. 3a) is provided with lugs18 which, in the corresponding angular positions of the nut 7, arereceived in the retaining recesses 17 of the ring 8, whereby theexternal nut 7 is retained in the extreme operational positions thereof;the other face end of the ring 9 has undercut recesses 19 adapted toengage the corresponding ones of the radial lugs 20 (FIG. 3e) madeintegral with the body of the male plug member 2.

The above described coupling and locking assembly is assembled in thefollowing manner.

The sleeve nut 7 is first assembled with the nut 8, the ring 8 beingintroduced into the nut 7 for the projections 15 to engage by theirrespective sides the corresponding ones of the axial lugs 13 of theinternal radial annular shoulder 11 of the nut 7; the respective endportions of the springs are then mounted in the sockets 16 of the ring 8whereafter the nut 7 with the above-mentioned members is slid onto thebody of the male plug member 2 and is retained thereupon by the ring 9thereat, the retaining being effected by pressing the ring 9 which ismoved below the lugs 20, whereafter the ring 9 is rotated for the lugs20 to be snugly received inside the corresponding undercut recesses 19of the ring, whereby the ring 9 is finally fixed on the body of the maleplug member 2 and retains thereupon the whole coupling and lockingassembly in its assembled state.

Shown in FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the coupling and lockingassembly applied onto the male plug member 2. The external surface ofthe body of the female receptacle member 1 is also provided with amultiple helical thread 21 (FIG. 1) engageable with the multiple helicalthread 14 of the sleeve nut 7, while the end face of the body of thefemale receptacle member 1 has an annular groove cut therein, thisgroove being adapted to receive a sealing gasket 22 made of anelastically deformable material, this gasket sealing away the area ofthe contact of the end faces of the male plug member and the femalereceptacle member 1 in the coupled position of the herein disclosedplug-and-socket connector.

To couple the male plug member 2 with the female receptacle member 1,the former is pushed into the female receptacle member 1, till the endface of the body of the male plug member 2 engages the sealing gasket22, whereafter the sleeve nut 7 is screwed onto the body of the femalereceptacle member 1.

While the nut 7 is being screwed onto the body of the female receptaclemember 1, the ring 8 is rotating together with the sleeve nut, wherebythe recesses 17 of the ring 8 disengage themselves from the lugs 18 ofthe ring 9 which means that the ring 8 compresses somewhat further thesprings 10 and moves toward the annular shoulder 11 of the nut 7 throughthe axial extent of the lugs 18.

The nut 7 is rotated further on with the ring 8 in the lastdescribedposition, until the lugs 18 of the ring 9 meet again the recesses 17 ofthe ring 8 (the lugs and the recesses being uniformly spaced about theperipheries of their respective rings) and are engaged therein. Thisengagement is accompanied by a specific snapping" sound whichcorresponds to a locked position of the connector. In this position thefemale receptacle member 1 and the male plug member 2 are firmly andreliably locked together.

The nut 7 may be now rotated in the opposite, unscrewing direction,until another snapping sound is heard, which means that the couplingassembly is unlocked; in this free position the female receptacle member1 and the male plug member 2 can be easily disengaged.

When the female receptacle member 1 and the male plug member 2 areengaged, and the coupling assembly is in its locked position, thesprings 10 are compressed and exert their compression force through therings 8 and 9 upon the body of the male plug member 2, pressing itconstantly against the sealing gasket 22 of the female receptacle member1, whereby any wearing away or residual deformation of the gasket 22 iscompensated for, and positive sealing away of the electric connection isensured.

We claim: 1. A plug-and-socket connector including a female receptaclemember; a male plug member, each of said members including a body, and acoupling and locking assembly mounted movably on one of said bodies andcomprising a sleeve nut including a circular shoulder and longitudinallugs positioned on the inside thereof and multiple thread turnsextending into connection with a helical thread included by the other ofsaid bodies for locking said female receptacle member and said male plugmember in a coupled position; a first ring located inside said sleevenut and surrounding said body of the male plug member, said ring beingmovably mounted for limited axial biasing relative to said sleeve nutand for rotation therewith about said body of the male plug member; asecond ring located inside said sleeve nut and surrounding said body ofthe male plug member, said second ring being immovably mounted on saidbody of the male plug member, and spring means for axially biasing saidfirst ring in the direction of said second ring mounted on said body ofthe male plug member.

2. A plug-and-socket connector according to claim 1, wherein said firstring is provided with recesses on the end side adjacent said secondring, said second ring including projections corresponding to saidrecesses on the end side adjacent to said first ring, said recessesreceiving said projections when said sleeve nut is fully screwed in orout with respect to said body of the male plug member.

3. A plug-and-socket connector including a female receptacle member; amale plug member, each of said members including a body, and a couplingand locking assembly mounted movably on the body of said male plugmember and comprising a sleeve nut including a circular shoulder andlongitudinal lugs positioned on the insider thereof and multiple threadturns extending into connection with a helical thread included on saidbody of the female receptacle member for locking said female receptaclemember and said male plug member in a coupled position; a first ring anda second ring located inside said sleeve nut and surrounding said bodyof the male plug member, and spring means for axially biasing said firstring in the direction of said second ring, said first ring havinglongitudinal projections for interconnection with said sleeve nut, saidprojections engaging respective longitudinal recesses provided in saidcircular shoulder inside said sleeve nut and forming sockets for theaccommodation of said spring means for causing reciprocation of saidfirst ring with respect to said sleeve nut.

4. A plug-and-socket connector including a female receptacle member; amale plug member, each of said members including a body, and a couplingand locking assembly mounted movably on the body of said male plugmember and comprising a sleeve nut including a circular shoulder andlongitudinal lugs positioned on the inside thereof and multiple threadturns extending into connection with a helical thread included on thebody of said female receptacle member for locking said female receptaclemember and said male plug member in a coupled position; spring means; afirst ring and a second ring located inside said sleeve nut andsurrounding the body of said male plug member, said body includingradial lugs for securely fixing said second ring, and holding saidcoupling and locking assembly on the body of said male plug member; saidsecond ring being provided with recesses on its end side, correspondingto said radial lugs on said body of the male plug member, said lugsengaging said recesses on said end side of the second ring.

1. A plug-and-socket connector including a female receptacle member; amale plug member, each of said members including a body, and a couplingand locking assembly mounted movably on one of said bodies andcomprising a sleeve nut including a circular shoulder and longitudinallugs positioned on the inside thereof and multiple thread turnsextending into connection with a helical thread included by the other ofsaid bodies for locking said female receptacle member and said male plugmember in a coupled position; a first ring located inside said sleevenut and surrounding said body of the male plug member, said ring beingmovably mounted for limited axial biasing relative to said sleeve nutand for rotation therewith about said body of the male plug member; asecond ring located inside said sleeve nut and surrounding said body ofthe male plug member, said second ring being immovably mounted on saidbody of the male plug member, and spring means for axially biasing saidfirst ring in the direction of said second ring mounted on said body ofthe male plug member.
 2. A plug-and-socket connector according to claim1, wherein said first ring is provided with recesses on the end sideadjacent said second ring, said second ring including projectionscorresponding to said recesses on the end side adjacent to said firstring, said recesses receiving said projections when said sleeve nut isfully screwed in or out with respect to said body of the male plugmember.
 3. A plug-and-socket connector including a female receptaclemember; a male plug member, each of said members including a body, and acoupling and locking assembly mounted movably on the body of said maleplug member and comprising a sleeve nut including a circular shoulderand longitudinal lugs positioned on the insider thereof and multiplethread turns extending into connection with a helical thread included onsaid body of the female receptacle member for locking said femalereceptacle mEmber and said male plug member in a coupled position; afirst ring and a second ring located inside said sleeve nut andsurrounding said body of the male plug member, and spring means foraxially biasing said first ring in the direction of said second ring,said first ring having longitudinal projections for interconnection withsaid sleeve nut, said projections engaging respective longitudinalrecesses provided in said circular shoulder inside said sleeve nut andforming sockets for the accommodation of said spring means for causingreciprocation of said first ring with respect to said sleeve nut.
 4. Aplug-and-socket connector including a female receptacle member; a maleplug member, each of said members including a body, and a coupling andlocking assembly mounted movably on the body of said male plug memberand comprising a sleeve nut including a circular shoulder andlongitudinal lugs positioned on the inside thereof and multiple threadturns extending into connection with a helical thread included on thebody of said female receptacle member for locking said female receptaclemember and said male plug member in a coupled position; spring means; afirst ring and a second ring located inside said sleeve nut andsurrounding the body of said male plug member, said body includingradial lugs for securely fixing said second ring, and holding saidcoupling and locking assembly on the body of said male plug member; saidsecond ring being provided with recesses on its end side, correspondingto said radial lugs on said body of the male plug member, said lugsengaging said recesses on said end side of the second ring.